Am I a big spender or a tightwad???

[laidbackin LA]

DH and I managed to drop $856 on board the Sapphire Princess last week.

 

We each had a spa treatment, we had one wine bottle, lots of the expensive photos, two excursions, and just a couple of beverages. Tips are in there too.

 

We had no specialty dining, no art auction, no casino, no cafe lattes, and NO ICE CREAM FROM THE PAY-AS-YOU-GO ICE CREAM STAND.

 

So if anyone has anything to compare to, please tell me if I was traveling first-class or on a shoestring.

[paul929207]

I assume that is for a week. If so, we are usually a little lower per week, but not substantially.

[Toto2Kansas]

That isn't 'out of this world' in shipboard charges. It usually runs about $100-$150 per day for us.

[wwinfl91]

We are usually lower except for excursions. Excursions can run up a bill really rapidly. It did on a recent Alaskan cruise we were on.

 

We never buy the photos as they are just too overpriced and neither of us has ever had spa treatments. We do enjoy a bottle wine occasionally with dinner, one or two for a weekly cruise. We usually do the specialty restaurants which adds to the final bill. We usually add at least one and sometimes two drinks a day. The two is usually me not my wife.

 

I would say you did pretty good as not spending too much. I have talked with people who had onboard expenses that exceeded the cost of their cruise and they didn't do shore excursions. It was almost all in bar tabs. I have to admit it is tempting to have a bloody mary in the morning, a beer or two sitting around the pool, a drink before dinner and then a bottle of wine with dinner but that is how people end up with $2000 or higher onboard expenses, I guess.

 

It will be interesting to see what others say about this topic.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[laidbackin LA]

I try to save money also by not playing bingo although it is tempting.

[pjs9876]

Hubby and I go over that amount by a bunch. I end up buying lots of photos (which line my hallway) and I love being reminded of the trip and how we have changed.:eek: We do special restaurants and extras. This year we are not doing the spa. Prices seem excessive. I save the itemized list from each cruise and we budget the extras into the plan. As time has gone by we are earning more and spending more.:D

[cherylandtk]

$856 /2 people / 7 days = $61 pp per day. Just a bit under the generally suggested average of $75 pp per day. Not a tightwad nor a big spender, just kinda typical.

[Sea Hag]

Your bill may be average. If it is, then we're the cheapskates of the century. What we had on our bill for our last cruise was tips, one soda, and one teeshirt! We've spent a lot more than that if we did excursions, but that last cruise was about what we usually do.

 

Signed,

 

the Cheapskate

[bhopal21]

Personally I think you were quite thrifty.

 

Mike:)

[cruiserbryce]

sounds about the average of what we spend...we did have a week last October on Vision that was $1100...some of that was a trip down to medical when I cut my head open though ($150):rolleyes:

[Croptop]

Jeebus! You guys are scaring the crap out of me.

 

My wife and I are off to our very first cruise in Feb and I certainly wasn't planning for an end of cruise bill in the $700-1000 range. I was figuring on $20/day tips plus a couple of coffee cards and a pop card. Perhaps tack on one night at one of the specialty restaurants and that's it.

 

Guess I'm a tightwad. :(

[bhopal21]

I would have to say you seem to meet the specifications.;)

 

Mike:)

[mrobinson]

Seems high to me but I'm a thrifty - only way we can afford the cruise. I just got off Mex Riveria cruise a few weeks ago - 7 days. I went with friend so I only had my half to pay. My bill was $47.00 - that included tips less $25 OBC and about $4.00 for bottle of wine at dinner that exceeded the $20 gift from TA.

 

I did spend $10 a night at slots and did massage in port for $40.00. Also took bus in Puerto Vallarta and a couple cabs in Matazlan and paid around $15.00 for a lunch at beach resort. We brought our own bottles of wine and enjoyed a glass before dinner - enjoyed a few beers in port. Didn't order any drinks on the ship.

 

Am going in 1 week on CB with husband. We'll see how good we can be - we prefer to save money by bringing own beer, wine on board. We don't spend money on photos or t-shirts or spa treatments (do that at home much cheaper). We spend our money on excursions that we book ourselves. Even with excursions I don't see us ever spending more than $500 total. But that is just us -

[Cruise Junky]

Jeebus! You guys are scaring the crap out of me.

 

My wife and I are off to our very first cruise in Feb and I certainly wasn't planning for an end of cruise bill in the $700-1000 range. I was figuring on $20/day tips plus a couple of coffee cards and a pop card. Perhaps tack on one night at one of the specialty restaurants and that's it.

 

Guess I'm a tightwad. :(

 

I take it neither of you drink or do ships shore excursions?

[swom]

Why worry about it??? Did you have a great time? That's all that matters. You knew you would spend and you did. Big deal. If you had a great time then it was worth every penny.

We only cruise every other year and when we do cruise, we buy what we want, spend what we know we can and have a hellva great time.

I always buy a couple of photos, buy from the shops onboard, and know every bar on the ship.

I'm the kind of passenger that Princess loves and that's ok with me, cause I love Princess too.

Again, if you had a great cruise and had tons of fun, stop looking at your final bill and start looking at those great photos you bought and smile!!!!

Life is just too darn short.

[jean s]

Your bill is around what my husband and I usually spend. We don't do any spa treatments but we usually book one shore excursion.

[swscruiser]

Its about the same for us but its all tips and drinks:D

 

Keith

[Cruzinnana47]

Don't think you went terribly overboard on your tab. I've heard of people spending a lot more! As has already been said, the important thing was you enjoyed yourselves.

 

On our first cruise (15 yrs. ago), we were sort of "shocked" how easy it was to pile on the charges--especially those nice tall cool drinks in the souvenir glasses...:rolleyes: For the last few cruises we've been fairly conservative. Have noticed the shore excursions can really tack on the $$. We don't buy many photos either--believe they are way overpriced.

 

The main thing is, you're on vacation, so go ahead and splurge a little!;)

[Seal]

Never thought to be considered a big spender--can't imagine being anywhere below $1,000--not including art objects--play bingo anytime I can--3 years ago won a 10 day trip for 2 on the East Coast Fall cruisse--Quebec City to NYC--yes wine and cocktails--soda cards-and oh yes ship excursions when we don't know of others--if we know of others that wouldn't be counted--some cruises such as the Mexican Riviera--don't really care to leave the ship--been to all of the 3 stops often--went to a cooking lesson at one of them the last time for something to do

 

It would be rare of us to walk off the ship looking for a cab driver to take of somewhere

 

I want to commend the poster for being careful with her money--I'm just not that good--Casino works for us too--have won blackjact tournament and slot tournament--the 2 of us

 

Still like Piano Man--no matter how many times I watch it

 

Have done all the specialty restaurants several times each--not on the same ship

 

did the UBD twice--Crowne is the best

The Tahitian Princess tried very hard--but didn't have the same quality as did the Crown--but it's a great thing to do

 

If anyone out there wants to know how to spend money on the ship--I'm happy to help--haven't had the opportunity to do the Chefs Table yet--would love to

 

Nancy:D

[WinnieinWA]

Umm...I'm going to say tightwad.

[Oh2Travel]

We average around $300-$500 per sailing. Occ higher if we indulge in art auctions. Sometimes lower if we have sbc. Usually have drink or two per day, leave tips on card, rarely book ship shore excursions and have never used spa(both way over priced) but do purchase some things in shops.

[gargoyle999]

We will have ~$1200 prepaid to our onboard account to cover our planned expenses aboard the Sapphire next month. So that is in the same ballpark.

 

We are going to try lots of things as this will be our first Princess cruise and want to check it out as much as we can.

 

The above includes a Princess shore excursion in one port (other 2 are independent), dinner at Sabatini's and Sterling's Steakhouse, one spa treatment each, coffee card, ice cream package, champagne breakfast, internet package, $100 casino credit and some misc for some drinks or whatever during the week. Probably won't do all these next time.

 

Though that amount doesn't include the couple FCC's I'm going to get! :)

[MaryPoppinz]

We're cheap, no doubt about it. :)

 

We rarely buy pictures, don't gamble or drink and we arrange our own shore excursions where we can. Our TA usually kicks in the tips. I may buy a couple of Lancome things in the duty-free shop, my husband gets a soda card and does a few hours of golf sim...and that's about it. We budget $1000/week for our shipboard account but have never spent it. The only time we come close is if my husband arranges golf or scuba through the ship.

[jfv379]

On our Crown cruise in April the bill ran right around $900.00 /week, Excursions, pictures, etc.:)

 

In 1991 we did a Mex Riv cruise and the bill was just under $700.00 for 10 days.:eek:

 

I think I drank more in 1991.:D

[Croptop]

I take it neither of you drink or do ships shore excursions?

 

We neither drink nor gamble. Our "excursions" in each port are already pre-booked (we're part of a running group that will do either a fun run or a race in each port but all of those have already been arranged and paid for). Aside from a t-shirt or three, I'm just not sure what else we would spend any money on while on ship.

 

So I guess that makes me the tightest of the tightwads. So to the original poster, I say you are generous. :)